diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index 9ad7fa8c10e0672b6c67580d6a0459d636e9d3f9..ccac82e61604873c7b3b2ec26251e1ae45b46c1e 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -2227,6 +2227,7 @@ static inline void dev_hold(struct net_device *dev)
  * kind of lower layer not just hardware media.
  */
 
+extern void linkwatch_init_dev(struct net_device *dev);
 extern void linkwatch_fire_event(struct net_device *dev);
 extern void linkwatch_forget_dev(struct net_device *dev);
 
diff --git a/net/core/dev.c b/net/core/dev.c
index bc857fead8c82831b2caa202baf0cff735bd83d2..2f25d0cac51cb9667be8828f40a547c20cf3d52c 100644
--- a/net/core/dev.c
+++ b/net/core/dev.c
@@ -5648,6 +5648,8 @@ int register_netdevice(struct net_device *dev)
 
 	set_bit(__LINK_STATE_PRESENT, &dev->state);
 
+	linkwatch_init_dev(dev);
+
 	dev_init_scheduler(dev);
 	dev_hold(dev);
 	list_netdevice(dev);
diff --git a/net/core/link_watch.c b/net/core/link_watch.c
index c3519c6d1b169a5c895efd781c7958218d7f8dc6..a01922219a23da6cbd23f5506b2b5ce329b2f617 100644
--- a/net/core/link_watch.c
+++ b/net/core/link_watch.c
@@ -76,6 +76,14 @@ static void rfc2863_policy(struct net_device *dev)
 }
 
 
+void linkwatch_init_dev(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	/* Handle pre-registration link state changes */
+	if (!netif_carrier_ok(dev) || netif_dormant(dev))
+		rfc2863_policy(dev);
+}
+
+
 static bool linkwatch_urgent_event(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	if (!netif_running(dev))